All's Well That Ends Well

King of France. We lost a jewel of her; and our esteem
Was made much poorer by it: but your son,
As mad in folly, lack'd the sense to know
2675Her estimation home.

Countess. 'Tis past, my liege;
And I beseech your majesty to make it
Natural rebellion, done i' the blaze of youth;
When oil and fire, too strong for reason's force,
2680O'erbears it and burns on.

King of France. My honour'd lady,
I have forgiven and forgotten all;
Though my revenges were high bent upon him,
And watch'd the time to shoot.
2685

Lafeu. This I must say,
But first I beg my pardon, the young lord
Did to his majesty, his mother and his lady
Offence of mighty note; but to himself
The greatest wrong of all. He lost a wife
2690Whose beauty did astonish the survey
Of richest eyes, whose words all ears took captive,
Whose dear perfection hearts that scorn'd to serve
Humbly call'd mistress.

King of France. Praising what is lost
2695Makes the remembrance dear. Well, call him hither;
We are reconciled, and the first view shall kill
All repetition: let him not ask our pardon;
The nature of his great offence is dead,
And deeper than oblivion we do bury
2700The incensing relics of it: let him approach,
A stranger, no offender; and inform him
So 'tis our will he should.

King of France. Then shall we have a match. I have letters sent me
That set him high in fame.

[Enter BERTRAM]LAFEU. He looks well on't.

King of France. I am not a day of season,
For thou mayst see a sunshine and a hail
In me at once: but to the brightest beams
Distracted clouds give way; so stand thou forth;
The time is fair again.
2715

King of France. All is whole;
Not one word more of the consumed time.
Let's take the instant by the forward top;
2720For we are old, and on our quick'st decrees
The inaudible and noiseless foot of Time
Steals ere we can effect them. You remember
The daughter of this lord?

Bertram. Admiringly, my liege, at first
2725I stuck my choice upon her, ere my heart
Durst make too bold a herald of my tongue
Where the impression of mine eye infixing,
Contempt his scornful perspective did lend me,
Which warp'd the line of every other favour;
2730Scorn'd a fair colour, or express'd it stolen;
Extended or contracted all proportions
To a most hideous object: thence it came
That she whom all men praised and whom myself,
Since I have lost, have loved, was in mine eye
2735The dust that did offend it.

King of France. Well excused:
That thou didst love her, strikes some scores away
From the great compt: but love that comes too late,
Like a remorseful pardon slowly carried,
2740To the great sender turns a sour offence,
Crying, 'That's good that's gone.' Our rash faults
Make trivial price of serious things we have,
Not knowing them until we know their grave:
Oft our displeasures, to ourselves unjust,
2745Destroy our friends and after weep their dust
Our own love waking cries to see what's done,
While shame full late sleeps out the afternoon.
Be this sweet Helen's knell, and now forget her.
Send forth your amorous token for fair Maudlin:
2750The main consents are had; and here we'll stay
To see our widower's second marriage-day.

Lafeu. Come on, my son, in whom my house's name
2755Must be digested, give a favour from you
To sparkle in the spirits of my daughter,
That she may quickly come.
[BERTRAM gives a ring]By my old beard,
2760And every hair that's on't, Helen, that's dead,
Was a sweet creature: such a ring as this,
The last that e'er I took her at court,
I saw upon her finger.

King of France. Now, pray you, let me see it; for mine eye,
While I was speaking, oft was fasten'd to't.
This ring was mine; and, when I gave it Helen,
I bade her, if her fortunes ever stood
Necessitied to help, that by this token
2770I would relieve her. Had you that craft, to reave
her
Of what should stead her most?

Bertram. My gracious sovereign,
Howe'er it pleases you to take it so,
2775The ring was never hers.

Countess. Son, on my life,
I have seen her wear it; and she reckon'd it
At her life's rate.

Bertram. You are deceived, my lord; she never saw it:
In Florence was it from a casement thrown me,
Wrapp'd in a paper, which contain'd the name
Of her that threw it: noble she was, and thought
I stood engaged: but when I had subscribed
2785To mine own fortune and inform'd her fully
I could not answer in that course of honour
As she had made the overture, she ceased
In heavy satisfaction and would never
Receive the ring again.
2790

King of France. Plutus himself,
That knows the tinct and multiplying medicine,
Hath not in nature's mystery more science
Than I have in this ring: 'twas mine, 'twas Helen's,
Whoever gave it you. Then, if you know
2795That you are well acquainted with yourself,
Confess 'twas hers, and by what rough enforcement
You got it from her: she call'd the saints to surety
That she would never put it from her finger,
Unless she gave it to yourself in bed,
2800Where you have never come, or sent it us
Upon her great disaster.

King of France. Thou speak'st it falsely, as I love mine honour;
And makest conjectural fears to come into me
2805Which I would fain shut out. If it should prove
That thou art so inhuman,—'twill not prove so;—
And yet I know not: thou didst hate her deadly,
And she is dead; which nothing, but to close
Her eyes myself, could win me to believe,
2810More than to see this ring. Take him away.
[Guards seize BERTRAM]My fore-past proofs, howe'er the matter fall,
Shall tax my fears of little vanity,
Having vainly fear'd too little. Away with him!
2815We'll sift this matter further.

Bertram. If you shall prove
This ring was ever hers, you shall as easy
Prove that I husbanded her bed in Florence,
Where yet she never was.
2820

Gentleman. Gracious sovereign,
Whether I have been to blame or no, I know not:
2825Here's a petition from a Florentine,
Who hath for four or five removes come short
To tender it herself. I undertook it,
Vanquish'd thereto by the fair grace and speech
Of the poor suppliant, who by this I know
2830Is here attending: her business looks in her
With an importing visage; and she told me,
In a sweet verbal brief, it did concern
Your highness with herself.

King of France. [Reads] Upon his many protestations to marry me
2835when his wife was dead, I blush to say it, he won
me. Now is the Count Rousillon a widower: his vows
are forfeited to me, and my honour's paid to him. He
stole from Florence, taking no leave, and I follow
him to his country for justice: grant it me, O
2840king! in you it best lies; otherwise a seducer
flourishes, and a poor maid is undone.
DIANA CAPILET.

Lafeu. I will buy me a son-in-law in a fair, and toll for
this: I'll none of him.
2845

King of France. The heavens have thought well on thee Lafeu,
To bring forth this discovery. Seek these suitors:
Go speedily and bring again the count.
I am afeard the life of Helen, lady,
Was foully snatch'd.
2850

Diana. If you shall marry,
2870You give away this hand, and that is mine;
You give away heaven's vows, and those are mine;
You give away myself, which is known mine;
For I by vow am so embodied yours,
That she which marries you must marry me,
2875Either both or none.

Lafeu. Your reputation comes too short for my daughter; you
are no husband for her.

Bertram. My lord, this is a fond and desperate creature,
Whom sometime I have laugh'd with: let your highness
2880Lay a more noble thought upon mine honour
Than for to think that I would sink it here.

King of France. Sir, for my thoughts, you have them ill to friend
Till your deeds gain them: fairer prove your honour
Than in my thought it lies.
2885

Diana. Good my lord,
Ask him upon his oath, if he does think
He had not my virginity.

Bertram. She's impudent, my lord,
2890And was a common gamester to the camp.

Diana. He does me wrong, my lord; if I were so,
He might have bought me at a common price:
Do not believe him. O, behold this ring,
Whose high respect and rich validity
2895Did lack a parallel; yet for all that
He gave it to a commoner o' the camp,
If I be one.

Countess. He blushes, and 'tis it:
Of six preceding ancestors, that gem,
2900Conferr'd by testament to the sequent issue,
Hath it been owed and worn. This is his wife;
That ring's a thousand proofs.

King of France. Methought you said
You saw one here in court could witness it.
2905

Diana. I did, my lord, but loath am to produce
So bad an instrument: his name's Parolles.

Bertram. What of him?
He's quoted for a most perfidious slave,
With all the spots o' the world tax'd and debosh'd;
Whose nature sickens but to speak a truth.
Am I or that or this for what he'll utter,
2915That will speak any thing?

Bertram. I think she has: certain it is I liked her,
And boarded her i' the wanton way of youth:
She knew her distance and did angle for me,
2920Madding my eagerness with her restraint,
As all impediments in fancy's course
Are motives of more fancy; and, in fine,
Her infinite cunning, with her modern grace,
Subdued me to her rate: she got the ring;
2925And I had that which any inferior might
At market-price have bought.

Diana. I must be patient:
You, that have turn'd off a first so noble wife,
May justly diet me. I pray you yet;
2930Since you lack virtue, I will lose a husband;
Send for your ring, I will return it home,
And give me mine again.

King of France. Tell me, sirrah, but tell me true, I charge you,
Not fearing the displeasure of your master,
Which on your just proceeding I'll keep off,
2950By him and by this woman here what know you?

Parolles. So please your majesty, my master hath been an
honourable gentleman: tricks he hath had in him,
which gentlemen have.

King of France. Come, come, to the purpose: did he love this woman?
2955

Parolles. Yes, so please your majesty. I did go between them,
as I said; but more than that, he loved her: for
indeed he was mad for her, and talked of Satan and
2970of Limbo and of Furies and I know not what: yet I
was in that credit with them at that time that I
knew of their going to bed, and of other motions,
as promising her marriage, and things which would
derive me ill will to speak of; therefore I will not
2975speak what I know.

King of France. Thou hast spoken all already, unless thou canst say
they are married: but thou art too fine in thy
evidence; therefore stand aside.
This ring, you say, was yours?
2980

Diana. Because he's guilty, and he is not guilty:
3005He knows I am no maid, and he'll swear to't;
I'll swear I am a maid, and he knows not.
Great king, I am no strumpet, by my life;
I am either maid, or else this old man's wife.

Diana. Good mother, fetch my bail. Stay, royal sir:
[Exit Widow]The jeweller that owes the ring is sent for,
And he shall surety me. But for this lord,
Who hath abused me, as he knows himself,
3015Though yet he never harm'd me, here I quit him:
He knows himself my bed he hath defiled;
And at that time he got his wife with child:
Dead though she be, she feels her young one kick:
So there's my riddle: one that's dead is quick:
3020And now behold the meaning.

[Re-enter Widow, with HELENA]

King of France. Is there no exorcist
Beguiles the truer office of mine eyes?
Is't real that I see?
3025

Helena. No, my good lord;
'Tis but the shadow of a wife you see,
The name and not the thing.

Helena. O my good lord, when I was like this maid,
3030I found you wondrous kind. There is your ring;
And, look you, here's your letter; this it says:
'When from my finger you can get this ring
And are by me with child,' &c. This is done:
Will you be mine, now you are doubly won?
3035

King of France. Let us from point to point this story know,
To make the even truth in pleasure flow.
[To DIANA]If thou be'st yet a fresh uncropped flower,
Choose thou thy husband, and I'll pay thy dower;
3050For I can guess that by thy honest aid
Thou keep'st a wife herself, thyself a maid.
Of that and all the progress, more or less,
Resolvedly more leisure shall express:
All yet seems well; and if it end so meet,
3055The bitter past, more welcome is the sweet.
[Flourish]EPILOGUE

King of France. The king's a beggar, now the play is done:
All is well ended, if this suit be won,
3060That you express content; which we will pay,
With strife to please you, day exceeding day:
Ours be your patience then, and yours our parts;
Your gentle hands lend us, and take our hearts.